Aibetsu Town
Northern Hokkaido
375 Fans
Daisetsuzan's "Mushroom Village" and Snow Softball Town
Population：2,400
Aibetsu is a town located at the foot of the Daisetsuzan mountain range, near the center of Hokkaido. It is about a 45-minute drive to Asahikawa City, and direct flights are available from Asahikawa Airport to Tokyo and Osaka.
Known as one of Hokkaido's leading "Mushroom Kingdoms," the town currently produces six types of mushrooms: enoki, nameko, maitake, shiitake, ezoyukinoshita, and kikurage (wood ear mushrooms). A signature event in Aibetsu is the "Aibetsu Mushroom Kingdom Festival." It's an event where you can fully enjoy the tastes of autumn in a single day, featuring all-you-can-eat Aibetsu mushrooms and beef, and a "Jumbo Mushroom Hot Pot" cooked in a giant pot 3.5 meters in diameter and 2 meters deep.
Another unique event is "Snow Softball." As the name suggests, softball is played "in the snow." A major feature is the use of a red-painted ball, and batters run the bases in reverse: from third to second to first. The crowd gets excited by unusual plays, such as balls getting buried in the snow or players tripping and falling.
